Education, Culture and Sport Committee, 26 Mar 2002

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 26, 2002

Official Report 138KB pdf

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Budget Process 2003-04

The next item is to update members on the 2003-04 budget process and to discuss and agree the proposed timetable, issues and witnesses for oral and written evidence. Members will note from the opening paragraph of the committee paper that the time scale for gathering evidence is relatively tight. Given the committee's work load, it is suggested that we focus on two of the four proposed issues for oral evidence. That suggestion is up for discussion. Given the time scale, we must agree today on a timetable and on who will be asked to give written and oral evidence. I invite members to comment on the paper and to agree a timetable for written and oral evidence.

I agree that we must narrow our scrutiny. If I had to choose, I would pick ring fencing, which will be of major importance in the coming years, and the national institutions. If the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport gave evidence on the national institutions, I would like to ask him a question or two about Gaelic, for which he is also responsible.

We must narrow our scrutiny and be clear about what we are doing. I am slightly concerned that some of the suggestions for oral evidence are a little narrow. On culture and the national institutions, Scottish Ballet's situation showed us the enormous importance of the audience and those who are concerned about the arts. It would do no harm to widen the choice of groups to give oral evidence.

I am keen for us to choose at least one issue from the education sector and one from the cultural sector, so that we have a reasonable spread over the budget areas. I support Mike Russell's suggestion.

I acknowledge what you say about focusing on two issues, but I would expect questions on ring fencing and the excellence fund, for instance, to be answered by the same minister, so they could be covered at the same session. I understand all the arguments for examining ring fencing—doing that is crucial.

I mentioned at the outset about three weeks ago that my concern with the excellence fund is that it is a large amount of funding, but it is difficult to establish the criteria for its allocation. If we take evidence on ring fencing, we should leave some time to take evidence on the excellence fund. I hope that, separately, we will have a session on culture, given that the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport is responsible for other areas of culture and sport. If we have one day's session with ministers and others on education and one on culture, that will give us a broad focus but allow us to examine in detail what we have to examine.

That is a helpful suggestion. Given the nods that I see from committee members, I am sure that it is welcome.

That is the point that I was going to make. It is the way forward.

Jackie Baillie agrees. We have a consensus behind Brian Monteith's suggestion.

Another miracle.

It is the magic of convenership.

Do members agree to the timetable?

Members indicated agreement.

The next item is to be taken in private, so that concludes the public part of today's business.

Meeting continued in private until 15:36.